In a redox process used to remove hydrogen sulfide from a gas stream and obtain elemental sulfur, water is formed as a by-product in the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur. Water can also enter the process in other ways, including by the water washing of the sulfur filter cake, pump seal leaks, and the like. In many application of the redox process, water removal is required to maintain the water balance of the process system. This is usually accomplished via a vacuum flash operation but that adds to the cost and complexity of the operation. Alternatively, using the feed gas to remove water by preheating the gas will only be practical for certain specific uses of the process. Water removal is also accomplished by using a large excess of air in the regenerator and using the regenerating air to strip out the water but this can over-oxidize the redox solution resulting in high ligand degradation in addition to the high cost of large amounts of compressed air.